When Cleopatra Adopted Siberian Tiger Cubs

Cleopatra had just had just given birth to a litter of puppies herself, and openly accepted the tiger cubs as if they were her own. The entire gang of cubs and puppies, as well as a cat named Masyanya,live in a home in Sochi, situated in western Russia, where they are taken care of by owner Yekaterina Khodakova.

Zoo assistant director Viktoria Kudlayeva stated that Cleopatra had given the cubs all her attention, accepting them straightaway and feeding them as if they were her own, adding that they also sleep together. Kudlayeva said that Cleopatra is not in any danger, despite the cubs already showing their claws and hissing, as the they depend on her for feeding.

Fewer than 400 Siberian tigers – also known as Ussuri, Amur or Manchurian tigers – have survived in the wild, most of them in Russia’s Far East. New mother Cleopatra feeds Clyopa. The dog has mothered the tiger cubs since their mother abandoned them